CollegeCostWise

Bachelor's · Rochester, New York

Is American Sign Language at Rochester Institute of Technology worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 19.1 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating
$34,742
Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating
$48,690
Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation
$22,000
NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families
$171k (likely $159k – $222k)
AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4
$11k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NY
2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback
19.1 years (likely 12.7–20+)
Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return
−$299k (likely −$413k – −$211k)
Today's dollars
20-year net return
−$151k (likely −$308k – $20k)
Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide)
70%
Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Change income, residency or loans Compare American Sign Language at other schools

🌍 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward languages & cultures majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

  • AP Spanish Language and Culture (or French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Latin)
  • AP World History: Modern
  • AP Human Geography

IB Higher Level

  • Language B HL
  • History HL or Geography HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at Rochester Institute of Technology

American Sign Language at other schools in New York